Kanga was a cheerful guy, and didn’t even seem to realize that he was born blind and with congenital defects involving his front paws, according to The Pet Collective, which featured his heartwarming story.

He was taken in by a Long Beach shelter and rescued by the Golden Retriever Club of Greater LA Rescue, whose volunteers fostered Kanga. It took eight months, but the group was able to find the right forever home for Kanga.

“It was instant love, I mean just a done deal,” says John, who adopted him. “I couldn’t believe he was blind.”

Along with John came a canine companion, Gracie, who quickly took to Kanga and helps him get around.

“It takes a little bit of extra work, as opposed to adopting a seeing dog, but it gives me such pleasure,” says John.

Kanga quickly learned to find his way around his new digs, bounding up and down the stairs, memorizing the location of his water bowl — and breaking the rules to snag a spot on the bed.